Limited Competition: Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 21 125

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 21 125

The Limited Competition: Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program (PAR 21 125) is an NIH discretionary grant opportunity designed to help research institutions buy a single major piece of shared scientific equipment, or an integrated instrumentation system, that is commercially available and specialized enough to support multiple NIH-funded investigators. The main goal is to strengthen the research capabilities of a group of NIH-supported users by providing access to expensive, high-impact instrumentation that can be used across projects, cores, or departments, rather than supporting a single lab or a single research aim.

A key feature of this program is that it is intentionally limited to institutions that have not recently received substantial NIH S10 instrumentation support. Specifically, an institution is only eligible if it did not receive S10 instrumentation awards totaling 250,001 dollars or more in any of the federal fiscal years 2018 through 2020. In other words, the program is structured to direct equipment dollars toward organizations that have not already had major S10-level investments in the recent past, helping broaden access to advanced research tools.

In terms of budget, the award has a minimum request level of 25,000 dollars and a maximum award (ceiling) of 250,000 dollars. The opportunity also notes that there is no maximum price limit for the instrument itself, meaning an institution could propose an instrument that costs more than 250,000 dollars, but NIH will not provide more than 250,000 dollars through this mechanism. That typically implies the applicant would need to cover any remaining cost through institutional funds, cost sharing, or other non-NIH sources, as allowed by the program and NIH policy.

The instruments supported are high-priced, specialized, and intended for shared use. Examples mentioned include basic cell sorters, confocal microscopes, ultramicrotomes, gel imaging systems, and computer systems, but the list is not exhaustive. The emphasis is on equipment that can materially expand or enhance research capacity for a group of NIH-backed investigators, including improving data quality, throughput, or access to capabilities that are otherwise unavailable or oversubscribed.

Eligibility covers a range of U.S.-based organizations, including public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and eligible nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) nonprofits). The announcement also highlights eligibility for several mission-focused institution types, such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, foreign participation is restricted: non-U.S. (foreign) institutions cannot apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and foreign components (as NIH defines them in its Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed under this opportunity.

Administrative details in the source information identify NIH as the sponsoring agency, with CFDA numbers 93.351 and 93.859, and an original closing date of 2021-06-15. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is health. The title also states "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which signals that this mechanism is strictly for instrumentation purchase and shared research capacity, not for conducting or supporting clinical trial activities under the award.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as an NIH pathway for institutions with limited recent S10 awards to upgrade shared research infrastructure by acquiring a single, high-value instrument that will be used broadly by NIH-supported investigators, with NIH contributing up to 250,000 dollars toward the purchase.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Basic Instrumentation Grant (BIG) Program (S10 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.351, 93.859.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-02-08.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-06-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for PAR 21 125

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